Help desperately needed please

Hi everyone, I just bought a g3 but desperately need some advice. Previously I had a panasonic tz5 which had a 10x zoom and lovely 3inch lcd. I loved the compact size and features which at the time were considered great for a compact but realised that I wanted crisper more detailed pics and possibly the occasional bokeh effect.

Well, after a lot of research this led me to the g3, compact size, much bigger sensor, lovely ergonomic feel in the hands, etc. I bought the body only package and have narrowed down my lens choice to either the panasonic 20mm f/1.7 or the new compact x 14-42 zoom.
Coming from a compact camera my choice has always been to try and get a pretty compact lens. From experience with the tz5 I concluded that a 3x zoom is all I really need if at all that. I tend to shoot the general point and shoot stuff, holidays, family, pics at car/bike exhibitions etc.

The 20mm has had excellent reviews and people say the results are very sharp, and great in low light, but the x 14-42 has the zoom capability in a small compact size. I've been agonizing over which to buy for ages because I can only afford one (they will cost about the same price here in the uk with panasonic cashback discount), and since I don't have any experience with lens could someone be kind enough to point me in the right direction. Oh, and by the way I usually only ever view my pics on a pc. As someone who shoots general stuff do I go for the 20mm which may produce sharper pictures(I think) or the x lens which has the capacity to zoom. Arghh!!!

Honestly, the 20mm will take your photography to the next level...pair it with the inexpensive 14-42mm regular kit zoom (but one used here on the forum)...the newer compact version isn't worth the money. In the end it is just a kit lens, a year from now it'll be worth less than half the new adopters fee you'd pay to own it now. The 20mm will hold it's value, and is already worth every penny.

Do you often shoot indoors or otherwise low light? If so, then ƒ/1.7 is going to help and you'll want the 20mm.

That is pretty much the one and only question I'd be asking myself, if I was in your shoes. If you need ƒ/1.7 to keep shutter speeds fast and ISOs low, then the 20mm is your lens. If you shoot in plenty of light, then the 14-42 provides the flexibility you are used to and will operate just fine under plenty of light.

Didn't your G3 come with a kit zoom lens? The new 14-42mm X is just another kit zoom. Same focal length, same SLOW lens speed, everything. I'd sooner use the standard kit lens which has a real focus and zoom ring instead of those stupid rocker switches.

I bought the g3 "body only", got it alot cheaper that way. I also tend to shoot predominantly outside during the day and this being England having bright conditions is 50/50. However I do occasionally shoot indoors but in all honesty its mostly outside. I know the 20mm lens is good in low light but is it that much sharper that it'll make a big difference shooting during daylight as well.

Personally I'd get the 20mm. f1.7 will allow you to take pictures indoors in low light and daylight the images will be higher quality. Not that the x14-42 is a bad lens, the 20mm is just plain excellent.

Zooms are compromise solutions but often acceptable compromises. There is a tendency to use them at their extremes where they are not at their best. Obviously it's a question of what you want to photograph, but generally the 20mm does for most situations.

Expect a bit of arm and leg work to frame a picture with the 20mm though.

The 20mm, if you are coming from the P&S world, the 20mm will have the greatest impact upon you as a photographer. Firstly, it is one hell of a lens in a tight little package. Secondly, it will make you time and work a bit for every image. It will frustrate you in the beginning, but it is the experience and thinking you'll need to expand, enhance and advance your photography. After a bit you will notice improvements to your images due to superior hardware but also because you're thinking about the image prior to releasing the shutter (previsualization).

I certainly feel your pain artic. We all started with interchangeable lens cameras and so we all had this initial drama...though most, and many, started with the kit zoom and moved to a nice prime (such as is the 20/1.7) soon after.

As others have said, the 20/1.7 will get your training off on a very solid footing. Actually it will take some time to untrain you from the wicked, lazy ways of the zoom You will not only appreciate the vast difference in image quality (IQ) but also the way your mind will begin to think, and your eyes see, in 'primal terms'. I think many get caught in the trap of assuming that there is greater versatility in having 14mm to 42mm fields of view to chose from. But I contend that you have far more versatility in the additional aperture range from f1.7 --> 3.5...that's a mighty few stops right there. You can zoom on your feet but no manner of shuffling will make your glass faster. Please remember fast apertures are not only about granting faster shutter speed. Beyond the f-stop/shutter/ISO triangle, there is depth of field. And if you intend to have more creative options at your finger-tips to grow as a photographer, including achieving that 3D pop to portrait shots, then I'd urge you to think fast

Please don't get me wrong, zooms have their place. But it is more about giving you options when you cannot zoom on your feet. But photography for me is all about communicating what I see, and seeing will involve training your eye, and nothing can do this like a prime....or better still a handful of primes

By the way, not sure which reviews you have read, but I think this one by Craig Mod gives an excellent taster of, not only the IQ, but how versatile this little 20mm can be.

Artic... do you plan to do a lot of video? Because that's the only reason I can see getting the 14-42 X with the power zoom. The G3 comes with a 14-42 kit lens, which is fine for flexibility in good light, especially outdoors. I say get the 20mm... together with the kit lens you'll have a fine little package. You can go on with only that equipment indefinitely and the 20mm will help you become a better photographer.

A big thanks guys, this forum is amazing!! Its my first post and the question I've been agonizing over for about two weeks has been answered in a few hours, and on christmas day for that matter. Already placed and order for the 20mm (family were wandering where I disappeared to) and I can't wait to start shooting. Cheers again and go easy on the christmas booze

A big thanks guys, this forum is amazing!! Its my first post and the question I've been agonizing over for about two weeks has been answered in a few hours, and on christmas day for that matter. Already placed and order for the 20mm (family were wandering where I disappeared to) and I can't wait to start shooting. Cheers again and go easy on the christmas booze

Click to expand...

Great news mate. Looking forward to seeing your images and how you grow with the 20/1.7. Please be sure to give yourself the time to adjust to it.

A big thanks guys, this forum is amazing!! Its my first post and the question I've been agonizing over for about two weeks has been answered in a few hours, and on christmas day for that matter. Already placed and order for the 20mm (family were wandering where I disappeared to) and I can't wait to start shooting. Cheers again and go easy on the christmas booze

Links in this page may be to our affiliates. Sales through affiliate links may benefit this site. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.